Table



QRO Model.)

E. E. BENNETT. TABLE.

No; 570,897. Patented Nov. 10, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENTA OFFICE.

EDVARI) E. BENNETT, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,897, dated November 10, 1896.

Appnmion mea June 6, i896. serai No. 594,557. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. BENNETT,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tables; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in tables; and it has for its general object to provide a table designed more especially for the use of invalids, and one which may be quickly and easily attached to one of the side rails of an ordinary bedstead, and which has its top so mounted that it may be swung over the bed into a convenient position in front of the person therein and maybe readily adjusted and adj ustably fixed so as to serve as a rest for a book or paper.

Another object of the invention is to provide the table-top with means for holding a book or paper thereon, and still another object is to provide a table in which the top is detachably connected to its support, so as to permit of it being used as a tray, thatis to say, removed from the support, carried to the kitchen and laden, and then brought back and again secured upon the support.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, illustrating my improved table as attached to one of the side rails of a bedstead. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the table-top and a portion of the arm which supports the same, the arm being broken away. Fig. 3 is a section taken in the plane indicated by the line x of Fig. 1. Fig. At is an enlarged detail section taken in the plane indicated by the line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail enlarged section of a portion of a table-top, illustrating the means for securing the table-top upon'itslsupport. Fig. 6 is a detail section taken in the plane indicated by the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is adetail perspective View of the angle-plate upon which the table-top is secured.

ignate corresponding parts in all of the several views, referring to which-u 1 indicates one of the side-rails of au ordinary bedstead.

2 indicates the upright post of my improved table, and 3 indicates the sleeve in which the post 2 is adjustably iiXed by a set-screw 4, as shown, to hold the table-topk at any desired elevation above the bed. The sleeve 3 is preferably provided with a block 5, so as to enable it to clear the molding with which bedstead rails are usually provided, and it is connected with the rail 1 through the medi um of its arms 6 and 7, which are threaded, as shown, the strap 8,which receives the threaded ends of the arms 6 and 7, and the nuts on said threaded ends. To permit of the sleeve 3 being readily att-ached to side rails of various sizes,the strap 8 is slotted, as shown, to receive the arm '7, and the said arm 7 is provided with the threaded aperture 9 to receive the threaded lower end of the sleeve 3, as shown.

10 indicates the swinging arm of the table, which carries the top, presently described. This arm 10 is apertured to receive the post 2 and rests on a collar 11, with which said post is provided, and it maybe secured upon the post in any suitable manner that will permit of it being swung in a horizontal plane. I prefer, however, to secure the arm 10 to the post 2 by the screw 12, which takes into a threaded socket in the upper end of the post,

and has its head of such a size and so shaped In the said drawin gs similar numerals desthat it forms a tray 13, which forms a convenient support for a water-pitcher, a lamp, or the like.

At its free end the arm 10`is provided with an apertured angular branch 14, to which the angle-plate 15 is connected, preferably by the screw 16, which takes through the aperture of the branch 14 and the curvilinear slot 17 in the vertically-disposed portion of the angleplate and the wing-nut which is mounted on said screw, as shown. This construction, as

will be readily appreciated, permits of the top 1S, which is mounted on the angle-plate 15, being readily adjusted to various angles of in clination from the horizontal and adj ustably lixed in such inclined positionsJ so as to form a convenient rest for a book or paper. rlhe horizontal arm of the angle-plate 15 is IOO provided with a headed projection 19, and this projection is designed to take into the socket 2O onthe under side of the table-top 1S and be detachably secured therein by the preferablybeveled spring-pressed bolts 21, which, by preference, extend to points adjacent to opposite edges of the top and' are provided with angular branches or finger-pieces, as shown. In virtue of this construction it will be seen that by placing the top 18 upon the angleplate 15 so that the socket 2O registers with the projection 19 and pressing down upon said top the head of the projection 1 9 will be caused to pass the bolts 21, and said bolts will then resume their normal position and by engaging the head of the projection will secure the table-top upon the angle-plate. It will also be seen that when it is desired to remove the top from the angle-plate l5 it is simply necessary to grasp the opposite edges of the top and with the fingers draw the bolts 21 outwardly, when the top will be disengaged from and may be readily lifted off the angle-plate. This ready removal and replacement of the top 1S admits of the said top being used as a tray, or, .in other words, it admits of the top being carried to the kitchen or other supply-point and laden and then brought back and secured in position upon the angle-plate, which is animportant advantage. lVhen the top 18 is removed from the angle-plate 1 5,it maybe placed upon a table or other support and rested upon the cleats 22, with which it is provided upon its under side, as shown.

In order to hold a book or paper upon the top 18 when the same is adjustably iixed in an inclined position in front of a person in the bed', I provide said top with the springpressed holding device 23, (see Figs. 3 and 4,) which preferably comprises the rods 24, extending through the table-top and having branches at their upper ends, the bar 25 connecting the lower ends of said rods and having an aperture receiving a depending guidepin 2G and coiled springs 27, surrounding the rods 24 and interposed between the table-top and the bar 25, as shown. By pressing upwardly on the bar 25 the angular branches or heads of the rods 24 are raised from the tabletop, and a paper or book may then be interposed between said branches or heads and the top and be securely held by the springs27, tending to draw said heads or branches downwardly. Vhen desired, the paper or book may be readily released by pressing'upwardly on the bar 25. l

Having described my invention, what I claim is- A 1. In atable, the combination'of a support, a headed projection on said support, a top having a socket receiving said projection, and a spring-pressed bolt connected with the top and extending into the socket and engaging the projection andalso extending to a point adjacent to one edge of the top and provided at such point with a inger-piece, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a table, the combination of a bed-rail, a post or upright, an arm connected to the post or upright and extending laterally therefrom and carrying a top, a sleeve arranged lat the side of the bed-rail and receiving the post or upright and having exterior threads, a lateral arm connected to said sleeve and having its free end threaded, an arm having a threaded aperture receiving the threaded portion of the sleeve and also having its free end threaded, a slotted strap arranged on the opposite side of the rai-l with respect to the sleeve and receiving the threaded ends of the arms and nuts mounted on said arms, substantially as specified.

3. In a table the combination of a post or upright, a horizontal arm loosely mounted and supported upon the post or upright and adapted to be swung in a horizontal plane and having the vertically-disposed and apertured' branch 14, at its free end, the angle-plate having the headed projection on its horizontal branch and also having the curved slot 17, in its vertical branch, a screw extending through the aperture in the branch 14, of the horizontal arm and the curved slot 17, of the angle-plate, a nut mounted on said screw, and a table-top having a socket adapted to receive the headed projection of the angle-plate and also having a spring-pressed bolt extending into the socket and adapted to engage the projection of the angle-plate and also extending to a point adjacent to one edge of the top and provided at such point with a finger-piece, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD E. BENNETT. YVitnesses MARTHA R. MYERS, E. O. I-IILLs.

IOO 

